Silent Learning

Artist: Elise Roy

When I began exploring fabrication design technologies, I ran into barriers due to my deafness. How-to videos were not closed-captioned, professors often taught techniques that rely on hearing, and welding class required me to wear a helmet that darkened everything but the flame, essentially making me deaf and blind.

My thesis focuses on illuminating these barriers and developing interventions that address them. This includes a book targeting the introductory fabrication design student and prototypes for potential tool modifications.